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Friday, December 31, 2010

Yes you read it right! As a one of things to address, I decided to blog everyday on Spice your Life. This is going to be a blogging marathon on different topics. It almost looks like I keep forgetting important milestones that I meet on Spice your Life. Like I forgot that Indian Cooking Challenge completed a year some 6 months and didn't remember until reminded. Then Spice your Life completed 2 years end of August and I just remembered that now!

Well to make up for the step motherly attitude I have, I thought I should blog non stop for 31 days to get over the phase. Best part being since this blog is about so many different aspects on life, I feel it will be more fun.

Starting this Monday school will reopen and I will be literally running to plan for my Kid's snack and Lunch box. Hoping to achieve all that through this marathon.

Leave me a comment if you are interested to join me along for the Marathon. I will be glad to try and read what you will be doing the next 31 days during January 2011

Sign up to the group is done only between 16th - 23rd each Month.
I really appreciate all the interest, however emails sent any time apart from this week, will not be accepted. The email should specifically mention the weeks, themes one wants to do.

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Tuesday, December 28, 2010

Last week when Amma had got these corn kernels, we wanted to cook as many dishes with these as we could.But as it would be, we couldn't find enough time to get whatever we planned. Then when hubby dear went on a day's trip we had lunch to be planned only for us. This actually gave us some new possibilites as Athamma wanted me to make something with these corns and complete it.

I made this Corn Vegetable Pulao, which was very quick and easy to make. Everybody at office loved it and came back home to know that kids liked it too and wanted it to be done again. They ate their lunch without complains and I had a dish that surely meets their liking. I just went about doing it as the regular pulao, just making sure that rice doesn't get overcooked and the corns are intact.

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Wednesday, December 22, 2010

When I made the Eggless Cupcakes with Chocolate frosting, I thought I might as well try the new silicone Microwave safe muffin tray. During our Blogger's meet, Divya happened to tell us that Lifestyle now has a wide range of Microwave Collections, naturally for the festival seasons. All the Microwave and Baking buffs immediately set out to investigate the lane.

In fact there were quite a lot of collection. I resisted to get only this tray which looks very cute. So it is only natural that my kindled interest also probes me to try out this microwave method. I used the same batter that I used for convection baking. The beauty of baking in micro mode is that you have a cupcake in 1 minute! It was unbelievable as I thought that it would require at least 2 minutes as in the Banana Muffins. But then I realized that even that would have been actually done in one minute.

Please check the recipe from the Eggless Cupcakes with Chocolate frosting, I used the same but the baking mode is different. When I had used the non stick muffin tray, few of them had a question on the metal tray being used. While it is true that metal trays should not be used, somehow it never struck me that as the store keeper said it was microwave safe.

Still I would not advise on using it as it is advised against usage. But since I used only for a minute, it was not risky at all and no sparks came out. Anyway I immediately wanted to buy a microwave safe tray for baking. After all who wouldn't want a cupcake in one minute?

Line the muffin tray liners. Fill it to 3/4 of the cup.

Bake it for 1 minute in Microwave Mode. Allow it to cool and do the frosting.

If you are wondering why the frosting is not there, well I seem to have forgotten to click pictures of those..:)

As I said kids enjoyed it a lot. But the best compliment was from hubby dear and Mom who said Dad liked it a lot. What more can I ask for!

And today when I was going to make something else, Chinnu came running to ask if I was going to make chhooocalate muufin? Well I said he had to wait for another day. So I know I am going to bake it again.

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Monday, December 20, 2010

I thought I would just go ahead announce the next theme for the Kid's Delight before I work on the round up. I know we just had the Holiday Special as the theme. But since the holidays just started and it being the the festival seasons, I decided if the theme is based on chocolate it be just too great. So it is going to be a Chocolate Feast!

To tell you the truth though, since I ended up making some chocolate dishes for the kids, I realized that this theme will be very apt as kids love chocolate in any form.

Please check out the rules and send in your entries either through the entry form or through email to spicingyourlife@gmail.com by 15th January 2011.

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Wednesday, December 15, 2010

Indian Cooking Challenge this month was Kashmiri Dum Aloo. I have been contemplating on so many recipes lately and was very late finalizing on the recipe. Finally I had a discussion with Lataji and we decided we can try some gravy as this season being hectic we can do a gravy and enjoy! We finally decided on Aloo Dum. I have a Alu Dum recipe from Sanjeev Kapoor. But Lataji referred to one that also had the Dum method involved. This recipe is from the site IndianFood that Lataji shared.

I ended up giving very short period for this dish. But since it happened to be a gravy, we thought everybody would be able to make it. I managed to make it for a dinner on a weekday. Sadly hubby dear didn't prefer it much as it turned out a bit sour for his taste. I liked it. When I took for lunch the next day, it was even better. My colleagues liked it even better. So I decided that this dish surely needs to settle down for a bit. I think that will allow the spices and curds to blend well together.

Step by Step to make Dum Aloo

Pierce through the small potatoes using a fork. Soak in water mixed with salt.

Drain and heat a pan with oil. Deep fry the potatoes and remove to a kitchen paper.

For the marinade, mix the curds/yogurts along with ginger powder, cardamon powder, fennel powder.

Mix the fried potatoes to the masala and keep it aside.

Keep the potatoes aside for 10 mintues

Heat a pan with oil, add the clove powder, hing.

Then add hot water and bring to boil.

Add the marinade along with potatoes to the boiling water.

Allow it to cook on high for couple of minutes.

Take the dough and closely cover the lid with the pan. This makes sure the alo gets cooked in Dum.

Kashmiri Dum Aloo

Making with dum:

This recipe uses favorite Kashmiri spices like fennel/aniseed and ginger powder. Dum Aaloo is named so because it is cooked under Dum or pressure. In this cooking method, the food is cooked under pressure in its own juices.

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Tuesday, December 14, 2010

Tandoori Paneer Tikkas are my most favorite dish. I seem to be saying this so often. But then it surely is and not having a Tandoori oven never stopped me from making it. I have been doing it over Stove Top over many years. Last time when I did, I couldn't find the skewers, so I ended up using those tongs.

I finally found the skewers and didn't want to miss showing how I make it. I made the recipe the same way as how I did the microwave method.

Marinade the Paneer Cubes along with the Vegetables.

Sorry for the messy picture but I had to show how much mess can happen..:) Arrange the Tomato Cubes, Onion, Capsicum in between the Paneer Cubes on the skewer.

Light up your stove, and take it right over it.

Pour drops of oil over the Paneer. When the oil comes in contact with the masala and the flame you get that smoky effect and taste as how it is made in a Tandoori Oven.

Turn over all sides to make sure the chunks get equally burnt and cooked on all sides.

Ok finally I was able to capture the flame with a night shot. Ensure to keep a safe distance when you hold it over the flame.

Once done on all sides, Tikkas are ready to serve!

In the second method I do, I cook the paneer pieces along with capsicum and onions. Leave out Tomato as it will get soft.

Cook on both sides for couple of mins, even more if you want the masala to be well cooked.

Then arrange on the skewers once it cools down.

Quickly cook over the stove, the same method while you sprinkle some oil over it.

Once done, remove to serve with onion julienne and lemon wedges.

When Konda saw me making it, she couldn't believe we could make it so tasty as how we get it from restaurant. She still says this is the best she had.

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Friday, December 10, 2010

Paneer Tikka has always been one dish that I never fail to order when we eat out. Infact if I remember right I have tried to experience how differently Paneer Tikka tastes in as many different places. Best have been in the ones I have enjoyed in Tandoor, which were really huge pieces yet so succulent, juicy and soft! In other places, it used to be real spicy and yet soft still.

So I always used to related to soft Paneer Tikkas whenever I eat this. Yet there have been occasions when it was served quite hard. I was delighted that my daughter shared my passion for Paneer Tikkas. And trust me, spicy in Tikkas are not spicy for her. She can easily eat couple of those real spicy ones, still claim them not being so spicy.

I already have a recipe for Paneer Tikka, that I had done on stove top without a Tandoor Oven the recipe is completely different from this recipe, which was shared by the MW Chef. And the fact that I prepared this Paneer Tikka in both "Only Micro Mode" and in Combo Mode of Convection + Micro Mode.

The difference between these two modes was that the Tikkas made in the Combo Mode came out soft and crisp on the top, while the Tikkas in the only Micro Mode, came out a bit harder. Of course if you ask me, I won't mind either ways.

This serves as a delicious starter and a great dish for Kids.

The below picture is made in Microwave Mode:

Mix the Paneer cubes along with Onion, Capsicum, Tomato pieces with the marinade and keep it aside for 15 mins.

Then Micro the marinade for 2 mins for the masala to get cooked.

Then using toothpicks, cube the paneer cubes along with tomato, onion and capsicum and micro for 1 - 2 mins in micro mode.

This is done in combo mode, where the same marinade is used and using toothpicks, club the paneer and rest. Pre- heat the oven for 210 degree and then in Combo mode using Convection + Microwave mode, cook the Tikkas for 15 mins.

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Monday, December 6, 2010

When you decide on dosas or idlies for breakfast, having a quick chutney handy makes the task easy. We are always on the lookout for good recipes. Though we make Tomato Chutney in different ways, this is yet another way of making a quick chutney. Not only is this quick, it tastes great for a easy breezy dips.

You can make this less spicy if you want to give this to kids. We made this as a quick one when Amma had tried making an idli with Moong Dal and Idli Rava. I suggested this to a bachelor friend, who tried this and said wow.

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Saturday, December 4, 2010

Pesara Purnalu or sweet dumplings with Whole Moong dal are a quick snack that you can do for evening snacks for kids. Not only that these are very healthy for kids. Never mind the deep fried nature of this recipe, as kids can eat deep fried snacks.

We make these dumplings with two different coatings. Traditionally it is done with Urad dal, while for this we did the coating with Maida and Rice flour. Make these for your kids as a holiday treat and I am sure they will enjoy it very much.

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Wednesday, December 1, 2010

Ghee Rice must be the simplest dish one can make, especially as meal to go with spiced gravies. I normally make this for non veg gravies and spicy veg kurmas. Since I only post Vegetarian in this blog, I will only link to the Ghee Rice that is done in a Rice Cooker and a regular pan.

This recipe was shared by the MW Chef I talk about. She made this with such easy you never knew it got cooked too. I tried it and it comes done as a breeze. Though as I say cooking Rice in Microwave takes time so it is not exactly Quick though it is very easy! Still when compared to microwave cooking this rice is quick.